Anyhow, back to the December First Friday, which is going to be, as I said, The Bomb.

Why?

It’s going to be so, because we’ll be pulling out some serious culinary stops, and anytime the Ridge foodie-stone gets called upon for a whetting, you know it’s going to be something special. Something explosive. Something positively bomb-esque. In fact, The Bomb.

So, if you’re a member, and you can get yourself to Monte Bello on the First Friday of December, then very much start staying tuned into this blog, because we’re very much starting to roll out details.

But first, a bit of a back-up, a refresher, and a tutorial.

First off, what is First Friday?

First Friday is a very special monthly member event held here at our Monte Bello Estate. As advertised, it occurs on the First Friday of every month; 4-7pm, without fail. Like clockwork. First Friday. And what do we DO at First Friday? Well, lots of things. Always wine-centric. It’s actually a very fun, and often experimental, lil’ wine event. Do a search for “First Friday” on this blog, and you’ll dig up all sorts of unique themes and wines and adventures and experiments and shenanigans and educative explorations into the wild wine winds. In fact, we often use First Friday as an opportunity to showcase a new member release, though that said, we just as often might use it to showcase some newly-uncovered rarity from the library vaults. And actually, sometimes we do both! First Friday is also a great opportunity for our Will-Call members to pick up their shipments, and there is also usually a nosh afoot; bread, cheese, olive oil, tapenade, those sorts of things. Sometimes I even cook. I did so pretty darn often this year, actually, though I failed to keep up with my New Year’s pledge of cooking for EVERY First Friday.

But I will more than make up for THAT, with the December edition, because I’m bringing in BIG GUNS to cook for our guests!

But more on that later. Back to the back up, the refresher, and the tutorial.

I think we’ve covered the basics of what First Friday is, but, as it’s imperative we understand this happening as a MEMBER event, it might behoove us to contemplate membership for a moment. What does membership at Ridge look like?

Well, it looks great, actually. It looks like you becoming part of a delightful and historic lineage of wine-lovers that stretches back 35 years! That’s right, the Advanced Tasting Program (ATP) — Club Tine #1 of Ridge’s Oeno-Trident — was whelped 35 years ago this year, and is still going quite strong, now linked at the staff with Tines 2 & 3 — Zlist & Collector — in said triumvirate. The Oeno-Trident: ATP, Monte Bello Collector, and Zlist.

That’s what membership at Ridge looks like.

And it also looks like you being invited to extraordinary events, both exclusive and public. And it looks like you being offered exclusive access to rare limited-releases and hard-to-find library wines. And it looks like you visiting us often to enjoy complimentary wine tastings, and very special member pricing on enhanced tasting experiences. And it looks like you benefitting from member-only purchase discounts. And it looks like you building multiple verticals of outstanding flagship offerings. And it looks like you eating well, drinking well, and enjoying great fellowship. And it looks like you getting to know us, and us getting to know you. It looks like me taking pictures of you and your children on our Monte Bello knoll (yep, did that with some members yesterday!), and it looks like you naming your first-born after me (ok, maybe not that part). Mainly, it looks like us very happily welcoming you into the arms of California’s Original Wine Club, and you being very happy about that.

So that’s First Friday, and that’s being a Member.

So what about this December First Friday?

Well, there is a confluence afoot. First off, it’s First Friday. So, of course we’ll be doing something special. Next, it’s the December First Friday, making it a) the last First Friday of 2012, and b) dead-center of the holiday season. Which all adds up to, game on. Or should I say, The Bomb.

So, in the interest of double-needling up the yarn of said confluence, we’re throwing a fantastical food-and-wine dang doodle. That’s right! We’re going to Pitch a Food & Wine Dang Doodle (to rather preposterously borrow a lyric from the great Howlin’ Wolf):